Impett

This is a Kentish Olde English pre 7th century origin name which initially meant 'the dweller at the sapling enclosure' i.e. the place where saplings were planted before being permanently grown. In this sense the name is preserved in the village name of Emply in Surrey. However, in medieval times it is more probable that the name was a nickname given to 'a youthful person' (an Imp) whilst in the case of 'Impett or Impet' we have a patronymic 'son of Imp' or 'little Imp' derived from the French 'petit'. The Impetts seem to have originated in the Ashford area, being well recorded there from the 16th century. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Henry Impett which was dated 1543 Baptised Elmstead Church, Kent. during the reign of King Henry VIII Good King Hal! 1510-1543 Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.